Toothbrush



Aug. 25, 1959 c. o. POWELL TOOTHBRUSH Filed April 23, 1958 Clinton 0.Powell Q I wm 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 2,900,651 rooTHBRUsH Clinton 0. Powell, Norfolk,Va. Application April zsf, 19ss,seria1 N6. 730,364

6 claims. (c1. 1s1ss) Thisinvention relates to toothbruhes and moreparticularlyv to a toothbrushwhich has the supply of dentifricemaintained under pressure so that discrete discharges of the dentifricemay be emitted to the bristles of the brush under the control of theuser.

The invention is embodied in a toothbrush with a dentifricefmaintainedunder pressure ina capsule at one end of the toothbrush handle, thecapsule actually constituting a part of the handle. I'he construction issuch that by holding the toothbrush inone hand and pressing thebrushgently in the proper direction, the head of the brush moves inwardly of`the handle a slight distance opening a valve and permitting a quantityof the dentifrice to be applied to the region of the bristles of thebrush. The capsule is removable and replaceable by another capsule sothat the useful life of the brush is as long'4 as an ordinary toothbrushor as long as the quality of construction will permit. In other words,the construction of the toothbrush and the presence of the pressurecapsule will in no way aifect the useful life of the toothbrush sincegenerally, the bristles of the brush wear out before any part of thebrush.

This toothbrush prevents the loss of dentifrice. ent day tooth brushingis quite wasteful of dentifrice. There are obvious advantages in thehandling of the toothbrush since a separate container for dentifrice isunnecessary. This has special advantage over ordinary toothbrushes forthose who travel.: Y,

These together with other objects andl advantages which willbecome'subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction' andoperation as moreffully hereinafter described and claimed, 'reference'Vbeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinvrlike numerals refer to like parts "throughout, and inwhich' Figure lis a perspective view of a toothbrush constructed in accordance with theinvention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the valvemechanism of the toothbnush of Figure 2 but showing it in a position atwhich a charge of dentifrice is being passed from the capsule to thehead of the brush.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure2.

In the accompanying drawings there is a toothbrush constructed inaccordance with the invention. This toothbrush has a head 12 and ahandle 14. The head of the toothbrush has bristles 16 which may be ofany material suitable for the purpose. 'Ihe head case 18 has alongitudinal passage 20 closed at one end and having a head cap 21therein. The open end of the passage 20 receives a pair of coaxial tubes22 and 24 respectively, with the innermost tube 22 preferably being madeof metal and the outermost tube 24 preferably being made of plastic.Although plastic is the principal Preshandle.

'.-the toothbrush.

material of construction, there being only three metal parts, this maybe varied in accordance with manufacturing techniques. l

Tube 24 has a slot 28 in its lower Wall that is registered With taperedpassageways 30 that open at their wider ends in the region of thebristles lof the brush and open.Y

through the bottom surface 32 of head case 18. A plurality of ports 34are in the inner tube 22 and are in registry with the slot Z8.

Control collar 38 is axially slidable on the outside surface of theouter tube 24 and has an enlargement 39v at one end which is slidable inthe cylinder 40. The cylinder is constructed of a part of ferrule 42with the cylinder in one end thereof, while the other end thereof isreduced in cross-section and fitted in socket 43 at the;

Plunger 60 is disposed in cylinder 54 and is made in; two pieces. Head62 isat the end of the outer tube 24- and disposed in cylinder 54. Asurface of the head 62 is convex and is disposed on a convex seat 66 ofa plunger cap 68. The plunger cap is reciprocable in cylinder 54 and ismounted on tube 70 that substantially forms a continuation of outer tube24. Tube 22 is disposed within the bore of tube 70 and this terminates adistance short of the terminal part of tube 70. Plunger 60 has a guide74 mounted on the tube 70 and in engagen i ment with the plunger part68. Spring 76 contacts a wall of plug 80 at the outer end of housing 52and engages the plunger guide 74. The spring 76 keeps the plunger movedto one end of the housing 52 but the` plunger can be moved toward theother end thereof by pushing the head part of the toothbrush toward thethreads to which the capsule 84 is attached.

Capsule 84 contains dentifrice under pressure. It can have a ring 86 atone end as a convenience for hanging.. It is Ypreferred Vthat thecapsule andi? housing bev of a uniformrdiameter. or anapproximatelyff;

uniform diameter to form the handle. However, the shape of the handlecan be varied. A normally closed check valve 88 is in the capsule end ofthe plug 80. The check Valve 88 includes a plunger valve element 89 thatis maintained closed by light spring 90 that reacts on a wall of theplug 80 and a transverse pin 91 of the plunger valve element. Pin 91 isthe part of the normally closed check valve that is moved in order toopen valve 88 (compare Figures 2 and 3) in response to movement of thehandle part of the toothbrush with respect to the head of thetoothbrush. This is achieved by having the inner end of tube 70 contactpin 91 and movethe pin against the yielding opposition of spring 90thereby separating the head of the valve element from its valve seat 93on plug 80. Since the dentifrice is under pressure in the capsule 84 itwill ow through the valve 88 and enter the bore of the inner tube 22 forsubsequent emis sion through ports 30. As soon as the force thatretracts the toothbrush in length is relieved, spring 76 which opposesthis force, .returns the tubes, plunger and other structure associatedwith its thereby relieving the force from the valve 88 and permittingits spring 90 to close the valve.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous i:- PQtentedAug. 25, 19,59@

Plug 80 is preferably threaded in the threaded outer end ofthe housing52 and has a portion with coarse modifications and changes will readilyoccur to those skilled -in the art, itis not desired Ito limit the`invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,and accordingly, al1 suitable modifications and equivalents `may Abemade-without departing from 'the scope of v-the invention -asllaimed vWhat is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A.pressurevoperated'fountain `toothbrush which has a'capsulecontainingdentifrice under pressure,` ahousing, means separablyseemingsaid capsule to said housing, saidmeanshavingacheclc valve therein vthatis normally maintained in the closedposition, saidcheck valve having avalve operator extending longitudinally of said housing, a'rst tube, a`second Vdentifriceconducting tube coaxial with said -rst-tube, bothofsaid Vtubes disposed in said housing and protruding from oneend thereof,-saidY first tube having an end inengagement with said valve operatorlto-open said vvalve upon movement of said 'rst tube in one-directionwith respect to said housing, a brush head having said secondtube'disposed therein, said vsecond tube having passage means throughwhich the dentifrice is adapted to pass, means closing the end of saidsecond tube at said head, said head having bristles, and ports in saidhead opening into said passage means and openingin the region of saidbristles.

2. A pressure operated fountain toothbrush which has a capsulecontaining'dentifrice under pressure, a housing, means separablysecuring said capsuleto said housing, said lmeans having a check valvetherein that -s normally maintained in the closed -positionfsaid checklvalve having a valve operator extending longitudinally of said housing,a first tube, a second tube coaxial withrsaid rst tube, both `of saidtubes disposed in said housing and protruding from one 'end thereof,said iirst tube having an end in engagement with said valve operator toopen said valve fupon movement of said rst tube in one direction withrespect to said housing, a brush head having said tubes disposedtherein, said tubes Yhaving passage means through which the dentifriceis adapted to pass, Vmeans closing the end of said second tube at saidhead, said head having bristles, ports in said head opening rinto saidpassage means and opening in the region of said bristles, a plunger insaid housing and connected to said lirst tube for movement therewith,and a spring in said housing and -reacting on said plunger to returnsaid .plunger to an initial position after said tubes are moved to thevalve opening position.

3. A pressure operated rfountain toothbrush which has a capsuleVcontaining dentifrice under pressure, a housing, means separablysecuring said capsule to said housing, said means vhaving a check valvetherein that is anstoen normally maintained in the closed position, saidcheck 'valve having -a valve operator extending longitudinally saidtubes disposed therein, said` tubes having passage means through whichthe dentrifrice is adapted to pass, means closing the end of said secondtube at said head said head having bristles, ports in said head openinginto said passage means and opening in the region of said bristles, aplunger .in said housing and connected to said first tube for movementtherewith, a spring n said housing and reacting on said plunger toreturn said plunger to an initial position after said tubes are moved tothe valve opening position, means including a` control collar formounting said tubes in -said housing, sadvcontrol collar having at leastone slot, and a key connected with said housing and engaged in said slotto prevent said control collar from rotating with respect to saidhousing.

4. The pressure operated fountain toothbrush of claim 1 wherein saidmeans separably securing said capsule to said-housing comprises a hollowplug intercommuni eating said capsule and said first tube, said valvedisposed in said hollow plug, and resilient means reacting on said plug`and said iirst tube for yieldingly opposing the movement of said firsttube in one direction.

5. The pressure operated fountain toothbrush of claim 1 wherein there isa plunger disposed in said housing, means operatively connecting saidplunger with said rst tube for movement with said rst tube, and a springreacting on said plunger for yieldingly opposing the movement of said,plunger and said first tube in one direction.

6. The pressure operated fountain toothbrush of claim 6 wherein thereare means operatively connected with said housing and said `first tubefor establishing a stop to limit the extent of longitudinal movement ofsaid rst tube in one direction.

yReferences Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,294,205 VanDyke Feb. 11, 19,19 1,523,332 Wright Ian. 13,1925 1,764,130Vardeman June 17, 1&30 2,298,157 Phillips Oct. 6, 1942 2,320,823 KingsonJune 11, 1943 2,806,238 Wisey Sept. 17, 1957

